The present invention relates generally to a monitoring system and, more particularly, to a monitoring system for monitoring or measuring one or more parameters, performing visual inspections or otherwise obtaining information from within a harsh or hostile environment such as within the interior of a sealed semiconductor wafer processing chamber.
There are many situations in which it is desirable to have the ability to measure or monitor one or more parameters or make visual inspections within a harsh or hostile environment. For example, it is desirable to have the ability to monitor one or more parameters, such as temperature and pressure, within the environment of a semiconductor wafer processing chamber. The environment within such a semiconductor wafer processing chamber, particularly during the processing of semiconductor wafers, includes high vacuum pressures. The use of existing, standard, unprotected monitoring equipment and/or techniques within such a semiconductor wafer processing chamber or any other such harsh or hostile environment is ineffective because most existing monitoring equipment is simply not constructed to withstand the severe pressures encountered within such a semiconductor wafer processing chamber and/or the severe temperatures, pressures and other environmental factors present in other such harsh or hostile environments. The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing a flexible, generally tubular elongated protective housing made of a non-porous, hermetically sealed, corrosive resistant material for containing the sensitive measuring and/or monitoring equipment employed for measuring or monitoring one or more parameters within a semiconductor wafer processing chamber or other such harsh or hostile environment. The present invention is particularly useful in calibration, inspection and maintenance within a semiconductor wafer processing chamber.